For immediate release: Bread eaters to live forever

Yesterday, the First Family attended worship at St. John's Episcopal Church in DC. I'm on what I assume must be a very massive press advisory e-mail list from the White House Communications Office, which was kind enough to send out this short note:

The gospel in today's mass is John 6:51-58.

Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever ...

I usually rely on either Vanderbilt's site or the Augsburg Fortress iCal file to know what's in the lectionary on any given Sunday. But a plain-text e-mail from the leader of the free world is way more convenient. I hope they keep it up.

Steve Thorngate

Of course, the Obamas don't attend church every Sunday, and when they do it isn't always lectionary church. Maybe they'll start! Though not this week—I'm not sure Bread Summer's a likely candidate for attracting new weekly worshipers.

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This year, as many years before, I planned my summer vacation schedule with this stretch of lectionary readings from John 6 in mind. I suspect I am not alone. Five straight weeks of chewing on the bread of life is just a little more than most of us Protestants can stomach. I’m not sure I have that many sermons on the subject in me. So please take my reflections here with a grain of salt. I’ll share with you what I can, but then I’m off to the airport.

A few years ago I lost a friend to cancer, barely 12 months after the diagnosis. During her final months she wrapped up business at her job and then went about saying goodbye to those people closest to her. She planned "final" experiences with friends and family—including a magnificent, all-expenses paid vacation with a few closest friends— and prepared herself spiritually by seeking out the rites and rituals of the church that would prepare her to finish her earthly life: renewal of baptism, Holy Communion, anointing.